BUSINESSES and households around the region have been warned about the growing danger of cybercrime.

The rise of the internet has led to the potential impact of cyber-theft, cyber-vandalism and even cyber-extortion increasing dramatically, with experts warning that the more we rely on the net, the more potentially vulnerable we become.

Mark Hughes, chief executive of BT Security, said it was “a daunting thought” that there are now about 27 billion devices connected to the internet, more than three times the human population of the world, and that this figure was expected to reach 125 billion by 2030.

Mr Hughes said: “If you think this issue doesn’t affect you and that it is a mainly a matter for governments and large organisations, then think again.

“There are growing indications that small and medium businesses, the bedrock of a regional economy such as the one in Yorkshire and the Humber, are increasingly in the firing line of the criminals, and research indicates that many are unprepared to meet this threat. Research by Accenture showed that 55 per cent of British workers can’t recall receiving cyber security training, whilst one in five weren’t sure they could identify a phishing email – a common method used by cyber criminals to raid personal bank accounts.”

Mr Hughes said BT security team detect 100,000 unique malware samples every day – more than one per second – and protect the BT network against more than 4,000 cyber-attacks daily.

He urged all homes and businesses to take steps to protect themselves from cyber attacks, including updating anti-virus software regularly, installing any patches recommended by the software, investing in regular cyber security training for staff, and reminding staff to be wary of opening suspicious emails or links.

Hackers have taken over the email account of a Louisiana funeral home and are sending email scams to the company’s customers, asking for money.

The hack took place on late Wednesday when employees of Griffin Funeral Home in West Monroe, Louisiana lost access to the company’s Yahoo account, used as the main communications point with customers and business partners.

Hackers asked customers for money transfers

The hackers sent out emails posing as the funeral home’s owner —Glenda Griffin— asking customers and suppliers for a favor.

If the other party replied, hackers would ask for $2,450 to be paid in a Ukrainian bank account. They justified the request by saying that Glenda was on vacation in Europe and her cousin suffered an accident and needed urgent medical care.

The scam was well put together as hackers had apparently studied the company and its owners before launching the campaign. As usual, they didn’t pay too much attention to detail, as they forgot to copy Glenda’s full email signature.

Employees said they detected something wrong after customers and partners called in to inquire about Glenda’s supposed predicament. They realized they got hacked when they inspected emails in the Sent folder and saw the emails without the full signature, which was also supposed to contain a standard disclaimer.

Hackers wrestle control over the email inbox away from staffers

Funeral home staff changed the account’s password, but hackers kept accessing the system. Employees changed the password four times before being locked out for good.

The company reached out to Yahoo for help, but they have not heard back. They also filed a complaint with local police.

In the meantime, the company also changed its official email address and is now informing customers to ignore the recent emails and update their contact details.

Speaking to local media [1,2], a funeral home employee recommended that companies change all passwords as soon as former employees leave, hinting at a possible source of the initial password leak.

The Obama administration released thousands of illegal immigrant children to sponsors with criminal records, including arrests on charges of child molestation, human trafficking and homicide, a top senator charged Tuesday.

If true, it would be a stunning black mark on President Obama’s immigration record, according to analysts, who said the first job of the government was toRead More

Retired judge Sir Anthony Hart is leading the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) probe, one of the UK’s largest inquiries into physical, sexual and emotional harm to children at homes run by the church, state and voluntary organisations.

Its seventh module, expected to last until November, will focus on allegations arising out of St Patrick’s Training School and Hydebank Young Offenders’ Centre in Belfast, Rathgael Training School in Bangor and Lisnevin Training School in Newtownards.

In June, the HIA, spent a week examining the failings that allowed notorious paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth to continue abusing children over four decades.

Retired Catholic Primate Cardinal Sean Brady was among those who gave evidence and said he hoped light would be shed on a “dark chapter” in the church’s history.

TAMPA — Target. Home Depot. Sony Pictures. The now infamous computer hacks infuriated consumers who had personal information compromised and Hollywood honchos who had embarrassing emails made public. But headline-grabbing computer intrusions are only a fraction of what is going on in the Wild West of cybercrime. According to Nextgov, the online resource for federal technology decision makers, energy giant BP faces 50,000 attempts at cyberintrusion a day. Read More….

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An employee of a cleaning service used by multiple residences in Mendham Township stole thousands of dollars from residents through credit card fraud and check cashing, police said. A weeks-long investigation by Det. James Arnesen led to the arrest of […]

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Devices that connect to computer networks are potentially vulnerable to hackers. This is a reality of modern living and also a concern for homeowners who have established “smart houses” or use network-based security systems. In an effort to make homes […]

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